It is well known that the muscle mass and strength of an individual can be greatly increased through repetitive weight lifting exercises, commonly known as xe2x80x9cpumping iron.xe2x80x9d Various weighted devices have been known for many years for use by individuals in the course of body building exercises. The best known of these devices are barbells and/or dumbbells, both of which are exceedingly well-known in the art.
Barbells and dumbbells are typically constituted by weighted elements interconnected by a bar or rod. The central section of the rod or bar is sized so that it may be gripped by an individual""s hands, thus allowing the individual to lift and move the weighted elements in a desired fashion. The dumbbell is generally a smaller version of the barbell, sized to be manipulated by a single hand. Virtually all muscle groups in the human body can be exercised using barbells and/or dumbbells.
The weighted elements used in conjunction with dumbbells and barbells come in numerous shapes and sizes, with many variations shown in the prior art. For example, a 1912 patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,047,212 to Hamilton, discloses a physical developer comprised of a plurality of disk-shaped weights, each weight provided with a central aperture, and a cross-bar across the aperture to serve as a handle. The developer is used to exercise the muscles of the lower neck, spine and lower limbs, and the individual weights can be used as hand weights or dumbbells. A separate handle can also be attached to the periphery of an individual weight to allow the weight to be used as an xe2x80x9cindian club.xe2x80x9d
U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,702 to Dorn discloses a hollow barbell weight that can be filled with sand, cement or some other cheap filling material. Once filled with the desired material, the hollow weight is sealed closed with a plug, which is secured in place by a circumferential band of rubber around the barbell weight. The barbell weight has a central passage by which it fits onto a bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,785 to Speyer discloses a barbell weight having a specially designed xe2x80x9cborexe2x80x9d by which the weight may be secured onto a barbell bar without removing a collar or other weight retaining device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,502 to Anastasi et al (xe2x80x9cthe ""502 patentxe2x80x9d) discloses a barbell weight plate having a pair of diametrically opposed, elongated oval openings disposed parallel to one another and equidistant from the central circular opening.
U.S. Pat. No. DES 354,322 to Vodhanel, Jr., discloses a barbell weight plate having a plurality of openings in the weight plate body, with these openings located adjacent the central bore of the weight plate.
U.S. Pat. No. DES 355,007 to Rojas et al (xe2x80x9cthe ""007 patentxe2x80x9d) discloses a barbell weight plate having a pair of diametrically opposed, elongated oval-shaped openings disposed parallel to one another and equidistant from the central circular opening. In addition, the ""007 patent discloses a multi-sided xe2x80x9cringxe2x80x9d at the periphery of the weight, with the ring and the central portion of the weight being the thickest sections of the weight plate.
U.S. Pat. No. DES 374,047 to Thielemann discloses a hand-held exercise weight incorporating a handgrip with indentations corresponding to the fingers and thumb of the holder.
While barbells and barbell weight plates are well known in the art, the present invention identifies and solves a number of significant disadvantages inherent in prior art barbell weight plates when used in an actual weight lifting environment.
One significant flaw inherent in prior art barbell weight plates is the lack of any protection for a weight lifter""s hand and/or fingers when lifting and/or moving the weight plate. For example, in the ""502 patent disclosure the weight lifter desirably grips the weight plate at the outer periphery, with his or her fingers or thumb curling around the outer periphery of the weight plate and into the openings. When the fingers or thumb are in this position, and the side or edge of the weight plate comes in contact with a solid obstruction, the weight lifter""s fingers or thumb may be xe2x80x9cpinchedxe2x80x9d or crushed between the obstruction and the side of the weight plate.
This flaw becomes even more apparent when observing how weight lifters maneuver weight plates in an actual weight lifting environment. Where multiple weight plates are being loaded onto a barbell or weight lifting machine, the weight lifter will typically grasp the plate by the handgrips, position the plate on the cylindrical support bar, and then push the weight plate until it comes in contact with the machine, bar-stop or other weight plates already loaded. Typically, the force the weight lifter uses to push the weight plate onto the bar is far more than the amount actually required to move the weight along the bar, which results in the weight plate striking the machine, bar-stop or already loaded weight plate at a relative high speed, often with a resounding xe2x80x9ccrash.xe2x80x9d Where the cylindrical support bar is biased or tilted such that the weight plate slides down the bar due to gravitational forces, the moving weight plate will often strike the stationary object(s) at even higher speeds.
When a weight plate is moving in this manner, it can possess a tremendous amount of kinetic energy. If the weight lifter is distracted or not paying attention to the positioning of his or her hands, his or her hands and/or fingers can accidentally come between the moving weight plate and the stationary object. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a weight plate that provides protection for the hands and/or fingers of a weight lifter who is manipulating the weight plate.
Another significant flaw in existing weight plates becomes apparent when the weight plate is resting on its face on a flat surface (in the prone position). Because the entire periphery of the weight plate is in contact with the surface, the weight lifter must either work his or her fingers under the weight plate, or must grasp the sides of the plate with sufficient force so that friction between the weight lifter""s hand and/or fingers and the circumference of the weight plate will be greater than the force of gravity. The weight lifter must then simultaneously suspend a portion of the weight plate in the air with his or her hand while positioning his or her other hand under the plate. Often, the weight plate will slip and fall two or three times before the weight lifter can successfully lift the weight. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a weight plate that can be easily lifted from a prone position by a weight lifter, preferably using only a single hand.
A similar problem exists when weight plates are placed side by side (in a prone position or xe2x80x9cstackedxe2x80x9d) on a barbell or weight rack. In order to remove a weight from such a weight stack or rack, a weight lifter must again attempt to move the weight plate by grasping the weight about the outer periphery, and then forcing his or her fingers into the gap between the weight plates. Where the weight plates are located on a tilted weight bar or rack, the difficulty with moving such weights is exacerbated. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a weight plate that can be easily and conveniently lifted from a weight stack or rack.
Another flaw in existing weight plates relates to the large dimensions of the gripping surfaces incorporated into prior art weight plates, such as those disclosed in the ""502 patent. In general, weight plates are constructed in standard sizes: 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 35, 45, and as much as 100 pounds per plate. Alternatively, they may come in metric sizes, typically 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 45 kilograms. This mixture of sizes allows weight lifters to xe2x80x9cmix and matchxe2x80x9d the weights on the barbell, thereby obtaining a desired weight resistance on the bar. However, because an increasing amount of material must be incorporated into the larger size weight plates, larger weight plates are typically proportionately larger than their smaller counterparts, with proportionately larger gripping surfaces.
The large dimension of such oversized gripping surfaces was not an important consideration while weight lifting was typically a male-dominated sport. However, in the past decades, gyms and other exercise facilities have experienced a dramatic increase in the number of female members, many of whom excel at weight lifting and xe2x80x9cpumping iron.xe2x80x9d Because a woman""s hand is typically smaller than a man""s hand, however, women often find it difficult to grasp and carry the heavier weight plates dimensioned for the larger hands of male weight lifters. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a larger weight plate which incorporates gripping surfaces convenient for use by individuals with smaller hands and/or fingers.
These and other problems are solved by the present invention, which incorporates one or more handgrips integrally into a disk shaped weight plate for use with barbells or dumbbells. These handgrips are dimensioned such that the transverse thickness of the handgrips is less than the transverse thickness of the weight plate such that, when the face of the weight plate contacts a solid obstruction, the handgrip will not also directly contact the obstruction.
In a preferred embodiment, the weight plate incorporates three handgrips located adjacent to the periphery of the weight plate. The sides of the weight plate overlap the sides of the handgrip sufficiently to allow the weight plate to impact a solid obstruction without causing damage to the hands and/or fingers of the weight lifter. Furthermore, the reduced transverse width and radial height of the handgrip allow an individual with very small hands to grasp and safely carry even the heaviest of weight plates by the handgrips.
Moreover, the reduced transverse width of the handgrip allows a weight lifter to conveniently lift the weight even when the weight is lying prone on a horizontal surface or is abutting against a solid obstruction or adjacent weight plate. This is because the handgrips in the disclosed weight plate do not directly contact the horizontal surface or solid obstruction when the weight plate is in the prone position, thereby allowing the weight lifter to easily grip the handgrips with his or her fingers and/or hands, and conveniently lift the weight plate.
In addition, because the handgrips of the preferred embodiment are positioned adjacent to one another at an oblique angle, this positioning allows a weight lifter to heft the weight with his or her hands positioned in a non-vertical orientation, thereby allowing the weight lifter""s back muscles to carry a larger proportionate share of the lifting load, and reducing stress on the weight lifter""s shoulder muscles and joints. Not only does this allow the weight lifter to lift the weight easier, or to more easily lift a larger weight plate, but the positioning and size of the handgrips also allows the weight plate to be used as an individual exercise device, if so desired.
Furthermore, because one embodiment of the generally circular circumference of the weight lifting plate incorporates generally flat surfaces adjacent the handgrips, these flat surfaces tend to resist circumferential rolling of the weight plate, and thereby serve to limit unwanted rotation and/or movement of a barbell and/or dumbbell when the barbell and/or dumbbell has been placed on a flat surface in the exercise facility.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved weight plate that may be used alone or in conjunction with barbells and/or dumbbells.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weight plate that furnishes protection for a weight lifter""s hands and/or fingers when the weight plate is lifted and/or maneuvered.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weight plate that can be easily lifted from a prone position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weight plate that can be easily and conveniently lifted from a horizontal or tilted weight stack or rack.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weight plate that allows individuals with small hands to safely lift and move the weight plate.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weight plate that allows a weight lifter to use both his or her shoulder and back muscles to safely lift the weight when holding the weight plate by the handgrips, thereby allowing the individual to more easily lift the weight or lift heavier weights without straining his or her shoulder muscles and joints.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description and from an examination of the accompanying drawings.